Baptist Health South Florida Evidence-Based Fellowship Program

Friday, 11 July 2008: 10:20 AM
Susan Golembeski, PhD, RN , Center for Research & Grants, Baptist Health South Florida, Coral Gables, FL

Learning Objective 1: By the end of the session, the learner will be able to describe a successful two year formally prescribed EBP fellowship program contaniing four parts.

Learning Objective 2: By the end of the session, the learner will be able to articulate the linkages between EBP, enhanced quality care and increased nursing retention.

Project Title: Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship Program

Organization: Baptist Health South Florida, Inc.

Project Director: Susan Golembeski, RN, Ph.D.

The purpose of the Evidence-Based Practice (EPB) Fellowship Program is to increase knowledge acquisition of Registered Nurses (RNs) in EBP. This will be accomplished by providing learning experiences that facilitate transfer of scientific evidence into the clinical practice setting for enhanced quality of patient care. Reports indicate healthcare professionals who practice using an EBP approach are more empowered and satisfied in their roles, which may lead to a lower turnover rate. A focus on strategies to increase RN retention is imperative given the global crisis in the nursing workforce. Therefore the proposed program is designed to address retention of a skilled, engaged RN workforce.

BHSF is a is a healthcare organization consisting of five hospitals and 11 outpatient and diagnostic centers serving Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties of South Florida. The BHSF network serves a population of approximately 2.5 million people with an expected 8.6% increase within the next 5 to 10 years. The cultural and socioeconomic diversity of the area presents complex healthcare needs. Provision of quality care to this growing and complex population requires education and support of the nursing workforce to enhance skills and expertise.

The EBP Fellowship Program is a two year formally prescribed program containing four parts: Classroom Instruction, On-site Clinical Learning, Mentorship Role Development and Clinical Mentorship. The first year learning experiences are focused on scientific foundations of EBP, application of EBP, and organizational leadership principles for the delivery and dissemination of improved quality healthcare. In the second year RN participants will learn the principles and skills of mentorship and serve as clinical mentors to incoming RNs in the EBP program. The knowledge acquired and mentoring expertise will continue throughout their careers and enhance professional development.